Chapter 82

Guhwa Satae’s already fierce eyes turned even sharper.

After the previous Elder, Goyeop Jin-in, the strongest Expert the Qingcheng Sect had produced was none other than Mujeong Jin-in.

No matter that Guhwa Satae was the Sect Master of the Emei Sect, she could not dare to look down on Mujeong Jin-in.

“It has been a long time, Mujeong Jin-in!”

“I am overjoyed to see you like this, Guhwa Satae!”

“Is that so? I am not pleased at all.”

“I have waited a full seven years to meet you. So how could I not be pleased?”

A chill wafted from Mujeong Jin-in’s voice as he replied coldly.

His eyes, as he looked at Guhwa Satae, were filled with hostility.

The future of the Qingcheng Sect, Wu Gun-sang, had lost his life to an assassin hired by Guhwa Satae.

Mujeong Jin-in, who had cherished Gun-sang more than anyone, had suffered from an extreme sense of loss. That loss turned to anger, and that anger was directed at Guhwa Satae, the cause of this whole situation.

But no matter how great the martial arts Mujeong Jin-in possessed, he could not face the entire Emei Sect.

Mujeong Jin-in had proposed to his Senior Martial Brother, Muryeong Jin-in, that they lead all the disciples and attack the Emei Sect. But Muryeong Jin-in had rejected his proposal outright.

No matter what terrible deeds the Emei Sect had committed, he felt burdened because they were both renowned Orthodox Factions.

Mujeong Jin-in was disappointed by Muryeong Jin-in’s indecisiveness.

He secluded himself and devoted himself to comprehending martial arts. All of it was for the sake of taking revenge on Guhwa Satae. But Guhwa Satae was like an old fox and never left her residence on Mount Emei.

One might have given up in disappointment by this point, but Mujeong Jin-in did not despair and waited with perseverance.

The time he had waited was a full seven years.

At last, Mujeong Jin-in had encountered the being he had so longed to meet.

None other than Guhwa Satae.

Guhwa Satae frowned at the aura Mujeong Jin-in was emitting without restraint. For some reason, Mujeong Jin-in’s aura felt unusual.

It was dark and tinged with a thick killing intent, unbelievable for an aura emitted by someone who had learned the martial arts of the Qingcheng Sect, the orthodox lineage of Daoism.

Guhwa Satae opened her mouth.

“It seems you have gained some new enlightenment recently. I can feel a profound Qi from you, Daoist Master, that I have never seen before.”

“Enlightenment? I have merely learned a new study.”

“This Guhwa cannot even dare to imagine how broad and profound the martial arts of the Qingcheng Sect are. I was confident that I knew the Qingcheng Sect’s martial arts well, but I never dreamed you would be hiding a martial art that emits such a turbid Qi.”

Guhwa Satae was speaking sarcastically, saying he had learned a martial art unbefitting of the Qingcheng Sect, but Mujeong Jin-in, the person in question, replied with an unconcerned expression.

“Do not measure Qingcheng by your standards. The sky of Qingcheng is wider and vaster than the sky of Emei.”

“Hmph! I don’t know why you make such a big deal out of that damn Qingcheng.”

“You will soon find out. Just how great the Qingcheng you so carelessly provoked is, and just how fearsome.”

“Aha! Is it so great that it was toyed with by a single assassin?”

“Assassin?”

At Guhwa Satae’s unexpected words, Mujeong Jin-in’s eyebrows twitched.

The unpleasantness the word “assassin” gave off had provoked Mujeong Jin-in’s temper.

“What do you mean? An assassin?”

“That assassin you supposedly dealt with in the underground cavern is still alive.”

“Do not lie. He is dead.”

“Did you confirm the body?”

“……”

“You see. You didn’t confirm it, did you? That’s why this mess happened.”

Guhwa Satae reproached Mujeong Jin-in.

However, Mujeong Jin-in paid no mind to Guhwa Satae’s criticism.

“So you’re saying that bastard is still alive?”

“That’s right! He’s the one who killed the young master of the Thunder Clan, and he’s the one who instigated the conflict with the Qingcheng Sect, leading my disciple, Jeong Hwa, to her death.”

“If what you say is true, then we are being thoroughly toyed with by a single assassin.”

“That’s right! So let’s settle our grudge after we catch that bastard.”

“I refuse.”

Mujeong Jin-in rejected Guhwa Satae’s proposal in a single breath.

Guhwa Satae’s eyes widened as she asked.

“Are you saying you won’t catch the assassin who killed your disciple?”

“If that bastard is truly alive, he will surely die by my hand.”

“Then why?”

“Is the true enemy who hired that bastard not right before me? How could I let go of this golden opportunity I have waited seven years for?”

“Hmph! Just like a Daoist from the Qingcheng Sect, so rigid and inflexible. To neglect the true enemy over a mere petty grudge.”

“Shut your mouth! Guhwa Satae. Do not try to toy with me with that bewitching three-inch tongue of yours. I will pull out that tongue of yours so you can never speak such wicked words again.”

Mujeong Jin-in’s aura rose like a storm and swept through the area.

“Heok!”

Po Sanhae, who was behind Mujeong Jin-in, fell on his bottom and rolled on the ground.

He stared at Mujeong Jin-in’s back with fearful eyes.

‘So it wasn’t an empty boast that Mujeong Jin-in is the greatest expert of Qingcheng.’

Po Sanhae was also the master of a sect. Yet he was intimidated by the aura Mujeong Jin-in was emitting and felt fear.

That was how formidable the aura Mujeong Jin-in projected was.

Mujeong Jin-in took a step toward Guhwa Satae and shouted.

“Qingcheng Seven Swords, aid the Crimson Dragon Clan and defeat the wicked ones of the Emei Sect.”

“We receive your command.”

With a powerful reply, seven Daoists appeared from somewhere.

Each exuding a sharp aura, they were the Qingcheng Seven Swords, taught directly by Mujeong Jin-in.

The seven swords representing Qingcheng attacked the disciples of the Emei Sect.

Chwaaang!

The sound of weapons clashing echoed from all sides.

Though there were only seven of them, their reinforcement made the tilting battle situation tense and even.

“The Qingcheng Sect is helping us. Everyone, keep fighting.”

“Haap!”

The experts of the Crimson Dragon Clan charged with renewed courage, and the martial artists of the Emei Sect were greatly flustered.

A fight between martial artists was largely decided by momentum.

The flow of battle changed depending on whose momentum was stronger.

The momentum of the Qingcheng Seven Swords was enough to change the flow.

Guhwa Satae’s expression, as she looked around, turned as vicious as a demon. Her already crow-like features became even more sinister.

“You refuse the cup of persuasion and choose the cup of punishment, Mujeong Jin-in.”

“Those are my words. You old crow of Mount Emei.”

“How dare you spout such nonsense. Unforgivable.”

Greatly enraged, Guhwa Satae rushed toward Mujeong Jin-in.

Hwoong!

Her Bludgeon Palm cut through the air, creating dozens of phantoms. She had unleashed the ultimate technique of the Golden Light Staff Technique.

Even before the staff reached him, a terrifying pressure bore down on Mujeong Jin-in. This too was an effect of the Golden Light Staff Technique.

Shwaaak!

However, with just a single swing of his sword, Mujeong Jin-in severed all of the formidable Qi that was pressing down on him.

“Pay for your sins with your death.”

Mujeong Jin-in clashed head-on with Guhwa Satae.

Jjeo-eong!

The Qi wave generated by their collision swept through the area like a storm.

The Qi wave also reached Yong Seol Lan, who was facing one of the Qingcheng Seven Swords.

The hem of Yong Seol Lan’s clothes fluttered wildly in the Qi wave.

‘This is not good!’

The situation was changing so rapidly that one could not see even an inch ahead.

The entirety of Chengdu was swept up in a storm of blood.

She couldn’t even dare to imagine where the end of this blood storm might be.

‘Pyo Wol!’

She scanned the battlefield, searching for the man who had been the starting point of this whole situation. But Pyo Wol was nowhere to be seen.

‘What is he plotting now?’

Just imagining it sent a shiver down her spine.

＊＊＊

“Heeugh!”

“Kuhh!”

Harsh breaths echoed across the battlefield.

It was the sound of the Black Cloud Corps’ cavalrymen gasping for air.

The state of the cavalrymen was disastrous.

Of the two hundred cavalrymen, one-third were dead or had sustained injuries so severe they could not move, and the remaining martial artists were also breathing heavily with considerable wounds.

“How can this be… to a mere assassin…”

Jang Muryang looked around with an expression of disbelief.

He had fought countless wars until now, but this was the first time he had suffered such great losses.

Cavalrymen were difficult to raise, and even more difficult to maintain.

Cavalrymen had to learn both strong discipline and military formations simultaneously. It did not suit the martial artists of Jianghu, who loved freedom.

For that reason, Jang Muryang had recruited martial artists from the Outer Regions instead of the Central Plains to maintain his cavalry.

That the cavalry he had maintained by pouring in a huge amount of money every year had been so miserably crushed by a single person dealt a great psychological blow to Jang Muryang.

Pyo Wol was the natural enemy of cavalrymen.

He never clashed with the cavalrymen head-on.

He cowardly evaded, created confusion, and used the chaos to launch sneak attacks.

The combination of Black Lightning and darkness was truly formidable, making it common to lose track of his trajectory even while staring wide-eyed.

Hunting down cavalrymen whose charge had been stopped was no trouble at all.

The Ghostly Rain and Soul Restraining Thread reaped the lives of the cavalrymen like the scythes of farmers harvesting crops.

Jang Muryang fought desperately to stop Pyo Wol, but in the end, he could not catch up to him.

Pyo Wol’s movements were like a snake.

If there was even the slightest opening, he would slip through like a slithering snake and ravage the cavalrymen again.

Pyo Wol’s actions gradually destroyed Jang Muryang’s iron-clad will. With every cavalryman that died, a part of Jang Muryang crumbled as well.

Pyo Wol paused for a moment to calm his ragged True Qi. But just by looking at his outward appearance, one could not tell at all that he was regulating his internal energy.

His white face, which stood out even in the deep darkness, and his eyes, tinged with a crimson light. His red lips, with the corners slightly raised, and a strange atmosphere that blended with the darkness, combined to make Pyo Wol seem something other than human.

“A… god of death?”

Jang Muryang muttered without realizing it.

Jang Muryang had overcome numerous crises until now and had lived without knowing fear. But at this moment, he was genuinely feeling fear.

He truly had not known he would come to feel such an unfamiliar emotion towards a mere assassin.

In his fear, the palm of his hand gripping the spear became damp with sweat.

Jang Muryang let out a lion’s roar to shake off the fear that was encroaching on his mind.

“Your opponent is me. Do not cowardly flee, Pyo Wol!”

As if Jang Muryang’s shout had worked, Pyo Wol’s gaze turned toward him.

Pyo Wol’s eyes were now completely tinged with a red light. That gaze was just like a snake eyeing its prey.

Though he had killed countless people, there was no wavering in Pyo Wol’s heart.

It was the Black Cloud Corps that had targeted him first.

He and the Black Cloud Corps were not fundamentally different.

In the sense that they moved to kill others for a price.

‘No, are we different? Since I haven’t received any price yet.’

It didn’t matter.

He would surely collect the price for this fight, one way or another.

This was not a fight he had started.

Nor was it something he had wanted to start.

But he would be the one to finish this war.

Suddenly, Pyo Wol’s gaze turned toward Chengdu.

Flames were soaring into the sky everywhere.

It was proof that the chaos had reached its peak.

Such was the nature of human beings.

Most people live by strictly observing rules, but some people think of rules as shackles and feel suffocated.

What Pyo Wol had done was merely to create an atmosphere where those few people could unleash their true nature to their heart’s content.

At first, it was just the deviance of a few, but their actions were highly contagious and drew in those around them.

People who gathered in groups forgot their fear and ran wild, their reason paralyzed by madness.

The result was the great chaos in Chengdu.

Whether they were martial artists or common people, everyone was running amok for their own gain.

Jang Muryang shouted.

“Are you satisfied now? You crazy bastard. I’ve been called crazy a lot, but compared to you, I’m just a child. To plunge the whole of Chengdu into chaos.”

He was genuinely furious with Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol was a great evil.

An absolute evil that must be defeated.

That was how Jang Muryang defined Pyo Wol.

“I will kill you with my own hands, Pyo Wol! No matter what price I have to pay.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What nonsense are you trying to spout?”

“Whether I’ve done something bad enough to hear this from you.”

“Look at what you’ve done. Because of you alone, the whole of Chengdu has been stained in a sea of blood.”

“Everyone lives like that.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that what Jianghu is like? You, the Qingcheng Sect, the Emei Sect, you all live like that. So why am I the only one being called a madman?”

Pyo Wol was genuinely curious.

How many people had been sacrificed for the Qingcheng Sect or the Emei Sect to gain their current scale and fame?

For hundreds of years, an innumerable number of people had died and become the fertilizer for their growth.

The Black Cloud Corps was the same.

For a group of three hundred and fifty wanderers to maintain its original form, they would have had to kill at least ten times that number of people.

All he had done was throw a small spark at them. What fanned the spark into a flame was their greed and desire.

If they had truly come here with pure intentions, a great disaster like today would not have happened.

It was a reenactment of the Celestial Net from seven years ago.

The only thing that had changed from then was that Pyo Wol was no longer easy prey.

Anyone who harmed him, he would follow to the ends of hell and bite their throat.

That was Pyo Wol’s way of fighting.

It didn’t matter if Jang Muryang didn’t understand.

He had lived that way until now, and he would continue to live that way in the future.

“You’re a truly mad bastard.”

Jang Muryang attacked Pyo Wol, trembling with rage.

His instincts were whispering to him.

That if he failed to eliminate Pyo Wol now, an even greater disaster would befall them.